Santo Domingo.- Several social organizations on Friday called for a nationwide strike on July 10 to demand that Loma Miranda be declared a national park.

Catholic priest Ramón Alejo said the strike would be staged after several activities including a March on Tuesday to Congress, where a campsite would be set up to press lawmakers into passing the legislation.

He said the called strike aims to confront the "the Government’s manipulation,” especially president Danilo Medina whom he affirms has behaved like "cat" behind the scene by using Congress to shelve the pending legislation.

Another priest Niño Ramos affirmed that there’s indignation in central La Vega province in the heels of the lawmakers’ decision, for which the more than 200 people at a campsite next to Loma Miranda will remain firm until the “ecological lung” becomes a national park.

"We won’t surrender like they did neither for money nor because they scare us. We’re going to stand firm until they declare Loma Miranda National Park and even if they don’t (Glencore) Falcondo won't be able to enter because the people declared it a national park," said Ramos.

Also present at the press conference to announce the activity were environmentalist Luis Carvajal and former Dominican Teachers Guild president María Teresa Cabrera.

No doubt there's a lot of money being passed around to these "legislators", to delay or stop this action from succeeding. Falcondo has billions at stake here, and won't hesitate to their dastardly deeds to ultimately exploit this region.Falcondo is owned by a billionare Canadian consortium and can afford big bucks for this purpose, and will result to any means necessary, including threats, and use of force to gain a foothold on this mountain of gold. Unless Medina does his part, this dispute won't end any time soon.